PortlandPublicMarketHousewelcomesafreshbatchof foodies,featuringtwovendors inspiredbythefragranttastesof Southeast Asia.SistersAshley andKelley Dowof Sticky Sweet (above)areintroducingPortlanderstoexoticstickyricebowls,atraditional Thaidessert;Chau Du Nguyen (below left) serves up steaming bowls of Vietnamese noodle soup at Pho Co. M ay 2 0 1 7 4 3 Clockwise from top left: corey templeton; Meaghan maurice (4) a magic corner, as the turnover implies–a telling starting point for change. Portland has had an uneasy relation- ship with chains in the past few years, ex- emplified by a 2006 City Council zoning ordinance that limits the number and size of franchise businesses in the Old Port. Nevertheless, Urban Outfitters set up shop on this row in 2011. Anthropologie followed in 2015. The appearance of an- other corporate chain fuels anxiety about the homogenization of Portland’s mar- quee retail district, the threat it poses to local business owners, and, less quantifi- ably, the dilution of local charm. (Though few suggest the Old Port wasn’t a rough and a scary place to walk through at night before the retail renaissance.) West Elm spokesperson Dru Ortega in- sists, chain or not, the furniture store will make an effort to become more than just an outlet. “In 2013 we introduced West Elm LOCAL, empowering our shopkeepers to connect and engage with area artisans, nurturing a creative network that celebrates craftspeople,” Ortega says. “Our shopkeep- ers are empowered to become contributing members of the community by inviting art- ists, makers, and other local creative busi- ness owners into the store to host pop-up shops and community-driven workshops that are open to the public.” Ortega adds that the store “will dedicate a small footprint to featuring a selection of products made by Maine-based artists.” In fact, the design of the store will be, to an extent, Portland-specific. “A handful of el- ements in West Elm’s Portland store will honor the city’s industrial and maritime history,” he says, including sailing rope wo- ven into a sculpture and a lattice of railroad ties. Local flavor, or just good PR? Sartorial scene R ough and Tumble on 127 Middle Street is a paean to what manager Jessica Shulte calls “the strong, rug- ged Maine woman.” Founded by former restaurateur Natasha Durham of Nata- sha’s and Mim’s fame, the store sells mostly leather handbags–each individually hand- “We introduced West Elm LOCAL, empowering our shopkeepers to connect and engage with area artisans, nurturing a creative network that celebrates craftspeople.” –Dru Ortega